Earth oven and clay-lined hearths
Horno de tierra y hogares revestidos de arcilla
- Date
- c. 32 ka · confidence medium
- Place
- Klisoura Cave 1, Argolis, Greece
- Credited to
- Homo sapiens (Aurignacian)
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
Hearths dug into the ground and lined with fired clay, with heated stones, used to slow-roast buried roots and meat. The first constructed cooking structure.
Earth ovens with hot stones are documented in Australia and Europe between 30 and 20 ka; the exact origin is undetermined and probably multiple.
What it led to
- Slow cooking that makes fibrous tubers and acorns edible
- Cooking for large groups: feasting
- Fire-hardened clay: a discovery leading to pottery
Built on
- Cookingc. 780 ka
- Fire-making by percussionc. 50 ka
- Fire-making by percussion
Made possible
- Fired clay figurines (ceramic)c. 29 ka
- Pottery vessels (Xianrendong)c. 20 ka
- Flatbread from wild cerealsc. 14.4 ka
- Tandoor (cylindrical clay oven)c. 2600 BCE
- Polynesian earth oven (umu, imu, lovo, hāngī)c. 1000 BCE
- Fired clay figurines (ceramic)
- Pottery vessels (Xianrendong)
- Flatbread from wild cereals